MP

Profile

A southern Gold Coast electorate that includes the suburbs of Palm Beach, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Waters, Varsity Lakes and Miami.

Redistribution

Loses parts of Miami Beach and Robina to the neighbouring electorate of Mermaid Beach, resulting in an estimated lift in Labor's margin from 8.3% to 8.8%.

History/Trivia

Burleigh was carved out of Russ Hinze's old seat of South Coast by the redistribution ahead of the 1992 election. It was then won and retained for the National Party by hardworking local MP Judy Gamin through the 1990s, making it one of the National Party's few remaining urban seats. The massive swing to Labor on the Gold Coast at the 2001 election brought an end to Gamin's parliamentary career, Burleigh won narrowly by Labor's Christine Smith. It had taken the Labor Party a decade to win a seat it had always marked down as a possible gain, and Smith has since begun to entrench herself, increasing her margin with 3% swings at both the 2004 and 2006 elections.

2-Party Booth Result

Labor recorded majorities in all 15 booths to be used at the 2009 election, ranging from 55.0% at the Palm Beach Share-n-Care Centre to 68.0% at the Life Education Centre in Broadbeach.

Main Candidates

Christine Smith achieved a significant late career job shift thanks to her upset victory at the 2001 election. Before her election she worked as an administrative Officer at Centrelink in Southport. She has lived for more than two decades on the Gold Coast and previously served as Secretary of the Gold Coast Residents' Association and a member of her local P and C. She has been Secretary of the Labor Party Caucus since the 2004 election. Saddling up for the second time as her opponent is Michael Hart, a former aircraft engineer who established a successful locally-based business specialising in high precision engineering. He is a former Vice-President of the Burleigh Chamber of Commerce and is an active member and a Patrol Captain at Pacific Surf Lifesaving Club at Palm Beach.

Assessment

Labor tried to win this seat for a decade before breaking through to win in 2001. After three terms in Labor hands, the Liberal National Party will have a strong chance of winning in 2009. One of the key seats for the election.